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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. suit — in cards
  7. firm — decided
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bat — the animal
  10. firm — a company
  11. content — happy
  12. board — to get on
  13. suit — to fit
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. board — a committee
  16. season — of the year
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stem — to come from
  20. season — in sport
  21. firm — steady
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com